After coming up winless the previous four matches, the Northern Virginia Royals were left searching for a way to get themselves back on track. The solution came in a pair of first-half goals from Royals Dave Atkinson and Eber Martinez, enabling Northern Virginia to best the visiting Virginia Legacy Saturday night at Hellwig Memorial Park.
Forward Atkinson gave Northern Virginia the lead in the 13th minute when a long cross from Royal teammate Martinez found him with a clear lane at the Legacy goal. Atkinson looped his shot over the closing keeper Justin Wolfe and watched it dip under the Williamsburg goal for the ultimate game-winner.
Nearly twenty-five minutes later, Atkinson returned the favor, sending a long ball down the right side to a racing Martinez. The speedy Royal forward somehow found himself several steps ahead of the Legacy defense and raced at the goal. Martinez blasted home the shot untouched, doubling the Northern Virginia lead in the 37th minute.
Royal keeper Sean Kelley was in top form early on, registering six saves in an exceptional first half to hold Northern Virginia’s lead.
The end of a hot, muggy weekend, combined with a long 2009 season for both squads, seemed to take its toll as the game tempo slowed considerably in the second half.
However, the Royals offense sprang back to life in the final fifteen minutes with the insertion of several substitutes into the match. The waning moments of the game saw several near opportunities to extend the Northern Virginia lead, none closer than a breakaway by Royal Stanley Kaweesi in 89th minute.
After finding himself two steps behind the Legacy defense with the ball at his feet, Kaweesi bolted at the goal. A sharp cut right was just enough to beat the sprawling Wolfe and allowed Kaweesi to plant his shot at the open net. The loud clang, clearly audible from the opposite side of the pitch, resounded as the ball pinged off the far post and trickled harmlessly away from the goal.
Northern Virginia returns home this Wednesday, July 15th, to face the Reading (PA) Rage at Hellwig Memorial Stadium in Manassas, Virginia. Match time is set for 6:00PM.
